The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-03
BITTER EVANGELISTIC TALK
Mrs. Woodwork and Her Assistants
Devote an Evening to DenunciatiOns.
In Consequence, There Are No Cataleptic
Manifestations, but Newspapers and
Churches Receive Harsh Attention.

There were no more thar two hundred persons
at the Woodwork meeting last night. A. P,
Stout, who occupied seat upon the platform,
rose, and skipping among the four chapters of
ii Timothy, called attention to the editorial in
the Indianapolis Journal of yesterday entitled,
Sensational Religion" Mr.. Stout quoted es
pecially from the third chapter Of II Timothy,
in which enemies of the truth are described.
Who" he asked, lever heard the Journal re-
prove religious man for leading skating
rink9' There was no answer, but notwithstand
ing the discouraging silence he continued to say
bitter things of the papers for not attacking the
Dime Museum and other places of amusement,
in his haste not even sparing the tobogyan slide
He thought the papers should be put TO shame,
that they should blush to say what they do
against these religious meetings when there is
such glorious reformation going on. He
thought they ought to come to the rescue of the
perishing.
He then took whack at the churches. He
asked: ''In the name of all that is good and holy
do you think they talking sound doctrine,
now. when preachers and professors of religion
are opposing Mrs. Woodworth9 verify believe
before God that this town will be guilty of the
blood of souls that will be eternally lost and
hurled into hell by this opposition. There has
never been time that Indianapolis has made
such serious blunder as now. What laughter
and irreverence l have seen around this altar !!
Many who profess religion are at fault in this
matter, and l believe before God there is time
coming when they will have to answer for
this thing. No man or woman has
haor a. T.,
sauib in the News, and sneering article in he
Journal, have tended to injure this work. Oh,
my friends. lay aside your prejudice, and let the
work 20 on. say this town has made a fearful
mistake upon the religious side Now let us,
from this time forward, have reverence in this
place. Nobody has been here in the last eight
years who has laoored more faithfully and con-
sclentiously than this woman. I pray that the
spirit of reverence and good order will charac-
terze these meetings. and let all good citizens
OF indianapolis say, amen"
Mrs. Woodwork then spoke. and as she pro-
ceeded there were tears in her eyes, and her
voice was broken. She said that she had never
put forth anything that was not in the Bible,
and that her ministry was wholly for the saving
Of souls. She spoke against the churches, so
many of which she declared had only the form
of godliness in them, but denied the power.
She said that protesting Christians to-day were
lovers of pleasure, and would rather go to the
theater the skating rink or some festival than to
house of God, it is from cold sense of duty,
not from constructing love. "A great many are
worshipinc God" she said "by machinery while
their hearts are far from Him. Religion
of that kind Is an aDomination. 1t is all form.
We are holding up the apostolic religion. We
stick to the Bible on the old paths-the paths
our fathers and our mothers trod-and here
to say that those plans have never been changed
| only as wicked men have perverted the word
of God. Christ is the same yesterday. oday
| and forever Search the Bible and then dare
| to say we don't present. the gospel The people
OF this generation have so wandered away from the
| old paths they don't know the gospel when they
hear it The religion they are teaching to day
] is as different from that of old as day is from
| night. In the old religion the minister didn't
| have to write his sermons He was given
enough of the spirit of God to speak. l am an
| old fashioned Methodist-not the new kind
bless the Lord They used to have amen
corners, and they were always filed with
| fathers and mothers They were there to re-
ceive spiritual food, and they did receive it, and
| they digested it. Then they all sung together
| Now they have little box in the corner, and
machine to make music and the singers are
| often not even believers. You know they are
| not. In the old-time religion they worshiped
| God in the beauty Of holiness. They all sung
/ together, and God opened the windows of
heaven and showered down blessings upon them
| IT they shouted glory to God it was all right
| The other day man shouted and they had him
| put out When they were converted they came
into the kingdom shouting. They born
| shouting and they lived shouting. Our fathers
and mothers-hundreds of thousands of them
lived this way, and died this way. To-
| night they are wearing the beautiful robes
and singing praises to Jesus. To day the
| churches have left the old paths, and the way
they are teaching is as different from the Bible
way day is from night Don't you see they
| are going back the old time religion, and as
gone down to hell. # they were wrong, they are
in hell; but yon know they are in heaven. Ii
the old time religion was good enough for them,
don't you think it is good enough for usl Two
| thirds of churches have drifted away
and are worshlping God from sense
of duty. | must say this city is
cursed win churches. If there was not a
church in it these meetings would DO crowded
| and thousands would be saved. Oh may God
turn the light in and help the people to see Oh
my God, so many blind leaders of the blind--al
| in the ditch and all going down to hell together
l would rather pitch battle against a regimen,
of infdels than professed Christians Of this
cold, dead formulating the form Of godliness
but denying the power. The true church il
as lodge in garden of cucumbers. If it were
not for the few children of the living God thi.
earth would not last an hour. We intend to pre-
sent the doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ ani
his apostles in spite OF men and bowling devils
Bless the Lord, there have been at least h1n
dred souls saved in these meetings. beev,
two hundred That Is great and glorious
work, and give God the glory. More than that
God has been here in healing power. and many
persons have been made perfectly we'll. He say
the prayer of faith shall save the sick and tn,
Lord shall raise them up We have the prom
ise 'ye shall lay hands upon the sick and the,
shall recover And they do recover, praise tn
Lord"
There were few at the mourners' bench, an,
the services in that respect were tame to wha
they have usually been.
Rev. Rice, of the Oak street Church, an
. nounced that $11 were needed to make the Wood
worth's whole on the meetings-that much NOR
being required TO meet expenses Three fou
dollars were handed in. but the audience did no
seem to be IN contributing mood. The hat wa
then passed, which added few nickeis an
dimes, but not enough to meet the desire
amount.
/, The pastor of the Oak street United Brethre
Y ca hat nd Iar g